


Tu Che M'Hai Preso Il Cuor

by laudanum_cafe



Series: Eden [4]
Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Alpha Patrick, Bandom - Freeform, Christmas Decorations, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, Holiday time, M/M, Omega Pete, Omegaverse, Omegaverse but that's not the main focus of the plot at all, a/b/o dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 12:31:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17121413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laudanum_cafe/pseuds/laudanum_cafe
Summary: Patrick takes holiday decoratingseriously...but the twins have a different idea of how they want the Christmas tree to look.





	Tu Che M'Hai Preso Il Cuor

**Author's Note:**

> Just some heartwarming, holiday fluff! 
> 
> The title is taken from the Sarah Brightman song of the same name and translates to “You, Who Took My Heart.”

***

  
  


Christmas was a big deal in the Stump/Wentz household. Every year, Patrick would spend hours pouring over do-it-yourself websites, doing meticulous Google searches, studying craft sites like Pinterest and Etsy, flipping through Martha Stewart Living like some fucking middle aged, suburban white lady, for new themes, aesthetics, and decorating ideas. For some odd reason, the Alpha felt driven to make sure that each year’s decorations surpassed the previous ones in extravagance, no matter the cost. 

 

He was never like this at first. Growing up, Patrick never really paid any mind to the holiday decorating. That was always something that his Beta mother would take care of but she never had this psychotic hyperfixation that Patrick seemed to have acquired out of nowhere. 

 

Well, maybe not quite out of nowhere. In the early days of their official relationship, Pete would be the one to handle any special events. But Pete noticed that after the twins’ first birthday, Patrick had started to become  _ very  _ invested in making every single birthday, anniversary, or holiday something grand and memorable for his little family. 

 

Pete thought it was sweet and it was extremely amusing to watch his Alpha husband get so riled up in his efforts to outdo himself and find some way to celebrate even the most obscure holidays. Birthdays and major holidays, Pete could understand, but shit like Arbour Day? National Donut Day? Come on. That was a bit excessive. Fun and cute, but excessive. 

 

While Pete adored how much his husband was trying to make every day special, Patrick thankfully listened to reason and agreed with Pete that he would only focus his efforts on the major celebrations. It was unnecessary and too costly.

 

Who would have ever guessed that Pete Wentz would be the reasonable one about  _ anything _ ?

 

So, while Patrick may have toned down his overall over-the-top extravagance, he still went all in for his favorite holiday, Christmas. Each year he would choose a different color aesthetic and would purchase an entire set of brand new decorations to accommodate that year’s theme. Pete liked to let Patrick have his fun, and there was no denying that the Alpha had a gift when it came to his skillful, flawless decor, but Pete much preferred to use decorations that were a bit more personal or meaningful.

 

“Daddy, why doesn’t Dad put the decorations we made on the tree?” Pete looked over to see his little girl, Meridian, gazing up at him with large, determined hazel eyes. Her twin brother, Alexander, stood to her right side, watching his father’s face intently for the reply to his sister’s inquiry. Of the two little Alpha twins, Midi was the more aggressive and vocal of the pair and often took to speaking on behalf of them both. “I don’t like the way he decorates. It’s boring looking.”

 

Pete looked down at his kids, a month shy of six years old and developing far too quickly. “Well, you see, your Dad likes to change the theme each year so when he gets the decorations for the tree, the colors have to all match. He doesn’t put up any of the old ornaments because he gets a new set every year. It’s just what he likes to do, Midi. Do you really not like it? He put a lot of effort into making everything just right.”

 

Midi turned around and looked back at the tree, examining it with intense scrutiny. Her face was all Patrick; furrowed brow, tight mouth, and a deep scowl. Alex mimicked his sister’s gaze, critiquing the tree as well, and in unison, the two turned back to Pete once their appraisal was complete. “It’s pretty but it’s not what we like.” Alex’s quiet voice replied for them. “It needs more colors.”

 

“And more lighties. Lots more lighties.” Midi added. “We wanna decorate it like the one we did in school. Beta Sav let us make ornaments and put whatever we wanted on it and it looks much better than just all gold and pink.”

 

Pete couldn’t disagree with his children. Patrick had slaved for hours choosing this year’s color scheme, setting for gold and various shades of rose with several strings of off-white lights. It was absolutely lovely and immaculately decorated, but Pete couldn’t help but think their tree would be better suited in a bougie hotel lobby or an upscale department store. It was stunning, there no doubt about that, but it lacked warmth and personality. Character. Soul.

 

The Omega didn’t voice his opinion on his Alpha’s decorative choices. Patrick went through a lot of trouble to make the tree look just right and he didn’t want to hurt his feelings or invalidate his efforts. No, it wasn’t worth it to voice his opinion. Patrick’s happiness and self-satisfaction at a job well done made Pete far happier than having a tree decorated in a style he preferred. 

 

But knowing his kids felt the same as he did...well, that was different. Pete knew that the outspoken and highly opinionated twins would be quick to voice their displeasure to their Alpha father now that they have made their feelings known. This was going to take some careful consideration and probably some underhanded manipulation to figure out a way to please everyone about this. He couldn’t let the kids know how  _ he  _ felt. That would guarantee Midi stomping off, Alex at her side as her ever devoted back up, as she marched up to their Dad, chests puffed out, and proclaiming their assessment of the decoration, using the fact that  _ Daddy feels the same way as us  _ as the ace up their sleeve. 

 

“You don’t think the tree looks pretty? You Dad worked really hard to make it just right. Don’t you think it would hurt his feelings if he knew you didn’t like it?” 

 

Pete watched Midi’s determined face remain rigid but say that Alex’s expression started to soften. Of the pair, their little boy was much more sensitive to other people’s feelings. “We don’t wanna make Dad sad. But...but we wanna do the tree different. That’s all”

 

Seeing that her twin’s reaction was a bit more diplomatic made Midi’s aggressive stance settle a little. “No, we don’t wanna see Dad get the sads.”

 

There had to be a way Pete could find a compromise that would make everyone happy. He just needed to think a bit. “I’ll see what I can do, kiddos. But for now, let’s not say anything to Dad, okay?”

  
  


**

  
  


“Okay, what about these?” Pete asked, holding up two different sets of multi-colored, LED lights. “These have a function to twinkle at different speeds, and these play music. Which to you guys think is better?”

 

There was no hesitation. Two sets of excited, baby voices yelled, “BOTH! BOTH! GET BOTH!”

 

_ Both.  _ Of course. Why didn’t Pete think of that himself? Either one would be a good choice, but more is always better.

 

He grabbed another box of each type and tossed them into their shopping cart. It was already halfway full, filled with various lights, shiny tinsel, baubles, and mounds of various art supplies. The kids were insistent that they make a bunch of decorations themselves, just like in Beta Sav’s class, for them to cover the tree.  

 

Pete had a plan devised. It wasn’t necessarily the best idea but he had to give it a shot. Patrick was working extra hours in the weeks before the holidays so he wasn’t home until very late at night and wouldn’t know what they were up to until they were already done. They were going to carefully,  _ very carefully,  _ remove the expensive glass decorations Patrick had so meticulously put up, put them back in their original packaging or in tissue lined boxes to ensure not a single one would perish, then re-decorate the tree with the ornaments the kids hand crafted and some of the ancient baubles that Pete had pulled out of storage. Going through that box tugged at Pete’s heart and sent him down a long afternoon stroll down memory lane. He had kept all of the ugly, super cheap plastic decorations from their first Christmases together as well as a few of the homemade ones from both his and Patrick’s own childhood. The reindeer Pete made in Kindergarten was missing it’s fuzzy red nose and the snowman Patrick constructed in his grade school class had only one black felt button, but otherwise they all seemed to have held up pretty well. 

 

When he showed them to Midi and Alex, they squealed with manic excitement. “You mean, you and Dad made decorations, also? Whoaaaaa! You had Christmas back then?”

 

Pete snorted. “Baby girl, Christmas has been happening for a long time. And hey! I’m not that old!”

 

Alex peered up at him with a serious expression. “Dad says you’re five years older than him. That’s like. An entire life. You’re old, Daddy.”

 

“You know what, you’re absolutely right.” Pete was going to have to  punish Patrick for putting that little fact in their kids’ mind. He’ll show Patrick just what this  _ old man _ is capable of. 

  
  


**

  
  


“Daddy! Daddy! Look! I finished another one! Look! Do you know what it is?” Midi ran into his lap, thrusting a dark colored felt and cardboard object right into his face. He took the item from her sticky little hand and examined it. 

 

He had no idea what it was. 

 

“Wow, look at what a good job you did! That’s great!” Pete kept looking at the blob, hoping his cluelessness wasn’t apparent on his face and thinking of things he could say that would praise his daughter’s efforts while killing enough time until he could figure out what this thing is. 

 

“It’s Oogie Boogie! Like from your movie!” 

 

Pete’s mind relaxed, relief washing over him. “Of course it is! It’s my favorite movie. I love it!” 

 

Midi was grinning widely, obviously pleased with herself and snatched the blob back from Pete’s hands. “I’m gonna put it in the pile. We’re almost done, Daddy! Come on! Let’s start fixing the tree!”

 

Surprisingly strong little hands pulled Pete up from the couch as Pete thought to himself, _Jesus this kid is fucking_ ** _strong..._** _so_ _much stronger than she looks...she’s just like her Dad._ They made their way back to the dining room table, where the kids had laid out all of their craft materials and set up their own little workshop. They had been at it for the last four hours, attention never wavering or growing bored. They didn’t even stop to have their snacks, which were still sitting in the center of the table, mostly untouched. 

 

Pete pulled out the chair beside Alex and watched his son as he continued working without even a glance up at his father. “Do you need any help, Xan?”

 

Alexander shook his head without a word, his adorable little tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth, looking every bit like Patrick. 

 

It was funny. When people first saw the family all together, most people would comment on how much the twins looked like their Alpha father, making lighthearted jokes asking if Pete was sure he actually gave birth to them. It hurt his feelings immensely for a long time, but he had to admit, there was almost nothing like Pete in his kids physical appearance. The Omega figured they’d have at least  _ some  _ of his traits; tan skin, dark hair, or dark eyes. It was basic genetics, after all;  darker features were dominant. But nope. He had a pair of Patrick clones with their strangely colored blue hazel eyes, super pale skin, and that beautiful burnt honey and auburn colored hair...the only feature that hinted towards Pete’s genetics was how Meridian’s hair wound out in large, loose waves when it was grown out long. But since Pete either kept his naturally, tightly curled hair either straighted or cropped so short you couldn’t tell the texture, it still wasn’t obvious that her hair was a tamer version of Pete’s. 

 

Patrick always said that there was no mistaking that the twins looked like their Omega parent. That they had the same twinkle of mischief in their eyes when he would catch them playing and plotting. That they had the same radiant smile that could disarm hearts and crumble anyone’s resolve. Patrick said that they were all Pete with their astonishingly brilliant minds and emotional maturity, always so uncharacteristically empathetic towards other people. They had Pete’s gift of gab. They started talking early; Meridian at a mere seven and a half months old, followed shortly after by Alexander at just before nine months. At first, it was just basic babbles and a couple of monosyllabic words, but by the one year mark, they were stringing actual together words and really, truly communicating. 

 

Still. Pete would have liked if people could look at him with the kids and think that he was undeniably the Daddy. 

 

Whatever, he’d much rather the kids take after Patrick’s stunning good looks than develop into Pete’s odd gangliness, anyways. Besides, as their personalities developed, he had to admit, he did see more and more of himself in the way the kids spoke, acted, and in their tastes in general. It made Pete smile. 

 

“Daaaaaaaddy! You’re not listening!” 

 

Pete was brought out of his thoughts by the insistent little voice of his daughter. “ **_Daddy_ ** **_._ ** **_Listen to me right now._ ** _ ” _

 

Okay, whoa. Wait a fucking second. “Meridian! We do  _ not  _ use our Alpha Voice in this house, you hear me? I will not have it. That is  _ not  _ the way to get things from me. Not even your father is allowed to use his Voice.” Pete was astonished to hear his daughter use her Alpha Voice and was confused as to where it came from. “You are far too young to be speaking like that at all. Who taught you how to do that, anyways?”

 

Midi looked embarrassed and a little afraid. “No one, Daddy. I’m sorry. It just happened. I don’t know why I did that.” Then her face changed into a look of panic. “Please don’t tell Dad! I didn’t mean it! Please don’t tell! I’m sorry!”

 

“No, I won’t say anything. Just, please make sure you be careful. Now, what were you saying?”

  
  


**

  
  


“How’s that one coming along, Xan?” Pete asked his son as he peeked back into the dining area, checking on the progress of, what was supposed to be, the final custom made decoration. 

 

Alex only gave an eyebrow raise and a tip of his pointy little chin in acknowledgement (fuck, the kid had Patrick’s mannerisms down. While they both looked like their Alpha father, Alexander shared more of quirks and characteristics associated with his Dad). Pete hovered by his son’s side, watching his little one finish up the last few strokes of color across the design. With a final stroke of crimson, Alex sat back, inspecting his work and then recapping his marker with a flourish. “There! All done, Daddy. What do you think?”

 

Pete was really taken back by this one in particular. The twins had saved the biggest decoration for last: The Tree Topper. They had taken a photo of Pete and Patrick from several Christmases ago, Pete hugely pregnant with the babies, wearing his little deer outfit, Patrick with his arm wrapped proudly and possessively around his thick waist, nuzzling the side of his neck as Pete giggled coyishly. Pete had forgotten about that picture but he told the kids they could pick any from the box of photos that he kept in the closet for their project. Seeing that picture brought back a rush of fond memories. They had framed the photo with popsicle sticks, glitter, and cardboard paper colored with swirls and designs. They had attached some pipe cleaners to the back of the ornament so it could curl around the top of the tree and remain securely affixed. 

 

“You guys, this is beautiful. I love it!” Pete was consumed with the love of his family and pulled his babies into his arms, hugging them close, squeezing tightly. “Come on. We have a lot of work to do before your Dad comes home.”

 

Clapping and squealing, the twins climbed off Pete’s lap and they all went into the living room to start working on re-decorating the tree. 

  
  


**

  
  


It took much longer than Pete had planned. He was the only one permitted to remove all of the expensive, fancy glass baubles and replace them a storage box so the task took much longer than he initially thought. He had to wrap each one in tissue paper before carefully putting them away while simultaneously keeping the kids distracted so their impatience didn’t get the best of them. The kids were eager to help, wanting to get their colorful works of art on the tree as quickly as possible, but Pete made them sit back while he did this part himself. 

 

Eventually, though not soon enough for the two eager Alpha twinlets, Pete had the tree tripped bare. It looked strange, standing there all naked with only a rose gold tree skirt pooling around the base. The material of the skirt was going to clash horribly with the technicolor wonderland of mismatched decorations that were about to be applied, but if the kids didn’t care, then he wasn’t bothered. Pete started chewing his lip as he watched the kids start decorating the tree, worried a bit, now that he had a moment to stop and think. 

 

Patrick always put in so much time, effort, and money into decorating the tree. Maybe he should have consulted him before taking on this project. Well, it was too late now. The kids  _ really  _ wanted to make this a big surprise for their Dad, and really Pete was never able to say no to either one of them. He’d take the blame in full if Patrick ends up being upset. 

  
  


**

  
  


8:00 pm was the absolute latest the twins were allowed to stay up. Meridian had  _ insisted  _ that they  _ absolutely needed  _ to stay awake until Patrick got home so they could show him their new tree, and Alexander had put forth a decent argument about how it was a Friday and there was no school and therefore it was perfectly acceptable to stay up past their bedtime, especially for such a special reason. And while Pete had admired and even agreed with a lot of their points, he also knew that Patrick wasn’t due home until after 11:00pm, which wasn’t  _ too  _ late but the twins were absolute  _ terrors  _ when their sleep schedule is messed with so Pete had stood firm with the 8:00pm bedtime. 

 

Once the kids were tucked in, bedtime stories told, glasses of water placed on their bedside tables, Pete took to the living room to relax and catch up on some mindless reality television. 

 

Pete was doing a last minute sweep around the Christmas tree, clearing away all of the rouge Balsam pine needles that had littered the floor when they were re-decorating it, when he heard the lock of the front door turning. Pete glanced over at the wall clock in confusion. It was only 10:17pm but it was obvious Patrick was home early. Sweeping up the mess into dustpan and running to the kitchen to toss the waste away, Pete put the broom back in place and rushed out to the living room to greet his husband. 

 

“Tricky? You’re home early!” Pete said, hoping the slightly forced chipper note wasn’t too obviously fake. 

 

The Omega crossed the room to give Patrick a hug and a soft kiss, but noticed the Alpha had his gaze locked on the tree. “Peter, what did you do to the tree?”

 

Pete pulled back, knowing that feigning surprise was useless, and being as upfront and honest as possible was the only option. His acting skills were notoriously horrendous and Pete was the worst liar that ever was. Patrick knew the scent of Pete’s nervous energy even if he did manage to keep a straight face, and a lifetime together meant that Patrick knew Pete better than he knew himself. 

 

The Omega pulled away and clasped his hands in front of his chest. “Don’t be mad. Just let me explain before you say anything.”

 

Patrick nodded, looking stern but not upset. “Okay, Peter.”

 

“So, okay. I know that decorating the tree is a big deal to you and you go to a lot of trouble to make it look perfect every year. And, believe me, I absolutely  _ love  _ the effort you put forth.”

 

“But?” Patrick prompted when Pete paused.

 

“But,” Pete took in a breath and calmed down. Patrick got upset easily about the weirdest things but he shouldn’t be so nervous. This was a sweet surprise that the kids worked so hard to accomplish. Pete smiled and took Patrick’s hand, bringing him over to the tree to show him the decorations and explain. “You see, the kids had a wonderful idea to surprise you. They’ve been making Christmas projects at school and wanted to do the same thing here. They worked all week making all of these decorations. And look, I made sure to put all the expensive ones you bought safely away so none of them are damaged. I knew it’s not the prettiest thing in the world, but the kids really put their heart into this project and never once got distracted. They wanted to stay up to show you but I knew you’d be home too late and I wanted to give you a head’s up first. I know how much you dislike surprises so...what do you think?”

 

Patrick was looking over every bauble that was on the tree. “Our old decorations are on here. The ones from our first Christmas in our first apartment. And...oh my god, these are the ones I made as a kid? You kept all of these things?”

 

Pete nodded, biting his lip and smiling at the soft expression on his Alpha’s face. “Yeah, of course I saved them. They’re very special to me.”

 

“But...that first Christmas. I couldn’t afford anything nice and you had to settle for these ugly thrift store ornaments and they don’t even match. I was...I was so embarrassed. I felt like...like you thought I couldn’t provide for you. Why would you keep these?”

 

“Baby,” Pete’s heart was swelling and he cupped his husband’s face. “How could you think I would feel that way?”

 

It broke Pete’s heart to see that Patrick seemed absolutely distressed at the memories playing in his head. But he did remember those first months together. Patrick working endless hours at a shitty job, barely able to scrape enough cash together for the basic bills, but always insisting that, in the future, he’d always make sure that Pete would have everything he could ever want. 

 

The young Alpha worked so hard to prove himself worthy of Pete’s love but all Pete ever wanted was to be accepted unconditionally, dynamic hangups and mental illness and all. 

 

“Patrick, I thought you were over all that insecure shit. You  _ know  _ I could give a fuck about expensive stuff. All that has ever mattered was that you loved me. You know that.”

 

The Alpha nodded, looking a little less sad but still emotional. “I do know. And I know you’ve never been shallow or materialistic. It was hard for me back then, you know? I used to think I had to adhere to all those stupid Alpha stereotypes in order to attract you and all that did was push you away from me. Those couple of years when you were in college and started dating...it fucked me up. I felt so useless because here I am, this idiot kid still in high school with no job, no money, nothing, you know?”

 

Pete hated thinking about those first two years that he was in college. He was at the height of his rebellious phase, fighting against being an Omega, dangerously doubling up on suppressants, and trying to prove to himself that he would never be controlled, especially by an Alpha. 

 

It was hard, because the harder Patrick tried to keep Pete, the more it would push the Omega away. 

 

Eventually, Patrick, with the help of some wise advice from his Mom and Mrs. Wentz, was able to figure out how to get himself straight and was able to earn Pete’s trust back. 

 

Thankfully, all of the young Alpha’s efforts paid off in the end.

 

“Hey, none of that, yeah?” Pete soothed as he pulled his mate close, nuzzling at his jaw. “All of the hardships were worth it in the end. And don’t you ever feel like a lesser Alpha. Not only are you the hardest working man I know, you are also caring and respectful enough to go against stupid societal rules about dynamics just to make me happy. No one else has  _ ever  _ loved... _ could  _ ever love me like you do. Okay? I don’t need expensive shit as long as I have you and the kids. That’s what makes me the happiest.”

 

Patrick smiled as Pete kissed along his neck. The sadness and tension melted away from him with Pete’s reassuring words and he tipped Pete’s chin up, pressing up on his toes to give his Omega a kiss. “Thank you, Pete. I love you so much. And I absolutely love what you and the kids have done with the tree.” The Alpha pulled back and looked back up at the tree. “Hey, what’s that on the top? Is that...is that us?”

 

Pete giggled looking up at the slightly janky tree topper. “Yeah, the twins found that picture in the photo box and wanted to make it into the star. Isn’t that cute?”

 

A rosy flush started to spread over Patrick’s face as he quietly contemplated the photo. “Babe, do you still have that outfit?”

 

“That deer dress? No, I packed it up with the rest of my old maternity clothes to donate to Goodwill a few years ago. Why?”

 

Patrick frowned. “That’s a shame. I loved that outfit.”

 

A dirty smirk spread across Pete’s face when he realized what Patrick was remembering. “I still have the antlers and the garter belt, though. And the bell choker.”

 

Patrick considered Pete’s face for a moment before dipping down and throwing Pete over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. 

 

“Fuck! Patrick! What the fuck! Put me down! OWW!”

 

Patrick slapped Pete’s ass with a sharp  _ smack  _ as he carried him over to the staircase and headed upstairs to their bedroom. “You’re gonna give me a little show, Peter. I’ve missed my little deer.”

 

Pete tried to keep quiet, stifling the giggles with a hand pressed to his mouth. “Yes, Daddy.”

  
  


**

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> As always, kudos are lovely but comments are what keeps the writer energized. So don't be stingy with your affections!
> 
> Also, pass by The Laudanum Cafe anytime for stimulating conversation and free (virtual) drinks! You can find me on Tumblr at [LaudanumCafe](http://laudanumcafe.tumblr.com)


End file.
